Cannabis seized at airport in Laos capital

Authorities in Laos are continuing their investigations into illicit smuggling after dried cannabis weighing some 15 kg bound for Europe via parcel mail was identified by Lao Customs officials at Wattay International Airport in capital Vientiane, local media reported on Wednesday.

Officials reported acting on suspicions raised when the weight of a suitcase appeared to be inconsistent with the description of contents, state-run media Vientiane Times reported.

On closer inspection, each of suitcases were found to have two compressed bricks of cannabis, familiar to many by the widely-used slang term "marijuana", located inside the lining with a total weight of 15.3 kg.

The seizure has been valued at 229,500 U.S. dollars based on its weight and European retail prices, though without clear reference to relative purity levels.

The same sender reportedly attempted to use the parcel mail service three times between September 21 to September 23.

The report did not reveal the status of suspected perpetrators, but local law allows for suspects to held by police for extensive periods for questioning prior to a court appearance.

Possession and trafficking in cannabis, a psychoactive herb familiar in Laos and across the region for its therapeutic since antiquity, is illegal in Laos with legislation allowing for imprisonment for offenders.

Estimates of regular consumption of cannabis inside Laos remain low in comparison to many countries of the west, with the opium produced in the nation's remote north and increasingly widespread usage of methamphetamine class drugs considered the more serious of the population's issues regarding illicit drugs.

Alcohol and tobacco, whose use is legal for adults, remain the most commonly used drugs for recreational purposes in Laos. Endi